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Defining evil?

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mikeincanada:
I was just rereading the Lake of fire 'synagogue of satan' part X.
" God created evil, God does not create things that do not serve a good purpose. "
"Now the word ra does not have a conscience and therefore has no moral bias. 
"Evil is not sin"
"God did not create sin, nor has God Himself ever sinned"

These are quotes..we know sin is missing the mark, but how do we define what evil is?

Rays statement that God didn't create sin struck me as I hadn't ever seen that before
.

Dave in Tenn:
Mike, we define words by their usage...and particularly by their usage in Scripture--remembering that the bible was not originally in English.  Bible-dictionaries can help, but only so much.  There are numerous Hebrew and Greek words translated "evil" in many bibles.  Ray mentioned 'ra'.  That's one of them.

"Evil is not sin" is a correct statement.  "Sins", on the other hand, are "evils"--or at the least the result of many sins are evils.  I'll leave it there.  There is a bit of unravelling to do to "unlearn" what most of us were brought up to conflate and confuse all these "negative" bible-words.

For me, I define 'ra' as "bad".  But I define other words translated evil other ways.

But if you are asking, "what is evil" and not "what is the definition of the English word 'evil' in the bible?", then that's a bigger subject.       

Porter:
I thought it was also interesting to note that not only do we define words (like "evil") by their usage, but that through the use of evil by God, it can be defined as a temporary "good" tool that shapes us into His image.

Is it safe to say that when men do evil, it is out of some sinful, selfish and carnal lust or desire of the heart that was already there? Can I therefor also say that sin is only one consequence of evil? As opposed to say an evil like a tornado that maims or kills 20 people? I guess my point is that evil has many forms, and it's not always related to sin.   

Good question mikeincanada, and I hope I didn't confuse you. Dave gave you an excellent answer, and you might be better off thinking about that more than my babbling.  ;D I'm just trying to figure this all out like you.

John from Kentucky:
Evil is the opposite of good.

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil (ra) is one tree.  We cannot understand one without the other.

A fundamental aspect of God is that He has knowledge of good and evil.  Genesis 3:22

For mankind to be like God, to be a member of His family or kin, then we must also possess knowledge of good and evil.

lareli:

--- Quote from: John from Kentucky on January 30, 2017, 06:10:46 PM ---Evil is the opposite of good.

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil (ra) is one tree.  We cannot understand one without the other.

A fundamental aspect of God is that He has knowledge of good and evil.  Genesis 3:22

For mankind to be like God, to be a member of His family or kin, then we must also possess knowledge of good and evil.

--- End quote ---

Like John said evil is the opposite of good.

If 'evil' has no moral bias then does 'good' likewise have no moral bias?

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